Audacity Forum

I have a couple of aiff files (finder says they are AIFF-C audio) that produce noise when I open them with audacity. One is a constant loud buzzing, the other is mostly silence punctuated by loud buzzing. Both files play fine in iTunes; both are recordings of phone calls off skype - I don't recall what I used to record them, possibly wiretap (they are about five years old).

Any suggestions? I could export them from iTunes in a different format but I don't know how - perhaps you can't any more?

I installed Audacity 2.0.3 from the dmg and I'm using 10.7.5

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

The AIFF-C ("compressed") container format can contain many different types of compression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIFF#AIFF ... sion_types

It seems these have a type of compression not recognized by Audacity.

Try converting them to WAV or uncompressed AIFF with Max: http://sbooth.org/Max/

Alternatively, since they play correctly in iTunes, use iTunes to convert them to WAV or MP3 (use the highest quality MP3 setting).

-- Bill

Well, I thought about converting with iTunes, but I can't find an "export" function. But I'll try Max, thanks.

In iTunes:
Go to Preferences, the General section, then click the "Import Options" button. Choose the encoder and options (if available). Close preferences.
Click on the track you want to convert. Click File > Create New Version > Create ... Version (it will indicate the file type you chose in Import Options).
A new track is created.
Find that new track in your iTunes library and move it where you want.

-- Bill

Thanks Bill, both answers do what's needed!

Iain.

Since iTunes can open these files it's quite likely Audacity could if its QuickTime importer was able to get to them, but I suspect the standard WAV/AIFF importer called "libsndfile" is opening them even though it doesn't support the format that is in them. You could look at Help > Show Log... to see what is actually happening.

If you come across any more files like that you could try a similar trick mentioned here if you wanted to. In the Extended Import Preferences create a rule for *.AIFF (or *.AIFC if the files have that extension), drag the QuickTime importer to the top of the list, then uncheck the "Attempt to use..." box and click OK.


Gale